JBS Receives Tremendous Community Support

The June Buchanan School (JBS) hosted their twentieth annual Fall Festival on October 28th. Each year parents, faculty, students, and the community work together to present an evening of festival games, concessions, silent, and live auction events, along with a plethora of activities available to the JBS family and others attending the event. The Fall Festival is an annual fundraiser for The June Buchanan School organized by the school and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for student enrichment, school upgrades, field trips, and technology.

Terry Dean Jacobs, an Alice Lloyd College alum, was touched by the school’s prodigious endeavors and the amazing job everyone had done with the festival, as well as the high goals set this year by JBS PTO President, Jennifer Stivers. In order to show appreciation for surmounting this challenge and for his love of JBS, Jacobs presented a $10,000 check to Stivers with all proceeds going straight to the school. In response to Jacob’s generous gift, Alice Lloyd College’s President Joe Stepp stated, “I am thankful and honored by the support of the community and the generous donation given by Mr. Jacobs to The June Buchanan School this evening. I am excited about our future.”

Jacobs said, “I was very close to Miss June Buchanan. We ate lunch together, and she made a huge impact on my life.” He recounted his memories of Miss June’s advice to him as a college student, saying, “When I attended Alice Lloyd College, Miss June decided for me that I would go to law school at Syracuse. She was adamant that this was the plan for my life. She later changed her mind and said that a Kentucky law school would be acceptable.” Jacobs continued, “I was a pall bearer at Miss June’s funeral, and as I look back at the effect she had on me, I am very pleased that The June Buchanan School was established to honor her mission and memory.”

The Fall Festival proved to be one in which major goals were reached with the help of a phenomenal show of community support that brought in a record amount for the school. With the help of over 120 businesses in Knott and surrounding counties, and hundreds of individuals, the festival was a great success. Reiterating a comment made by parents throughout the evening, PTO Vice President, Jamie Watts, said, “The community atmosphere of JBS is so friendly and refreshing. What can I say? I love it!” Reagan Turner, PTO Treasurer, also remarked on the evening’s activities, saying, “Unbelievable! We had a packed house! I am so thankful for the support we were shown this evening.”

In planning the Fall Festival event, the JBS PTO had set goals for various aspects of the fundraiser, including Voice Sales, a way to raise money for the school that allow students’ family and friends to purchase tickets in order to enter a drawing for various prizes. The voices are drawn at the festival to announce winners. Since JBS is a small school, the PTO set a goal to sell 5000 voices. Voice Sales from students and the school were tracked beside the JBS office daily. When announced at the Fall Festival, students alone had sold over 6000 voices. Secretary Christy Hall stated, “Our students at JBS exceeded the goal we had set for them last year. This year we wanted to set the goal a little higher for them, because we knew that the students would work hard to meet the goal. And they did! They are very dedicated, motivated, and willing to work together as a group to meet goals set for them.”

Very tired, and very thankful, Stivers commented at the end of the evening, “It was completely overwhelming tonight to see the support that we received from the community, parents, and students.” She said, “I am thrilled and excited at the opportunity to take the money we made for our school this evening and make our school even better than it already is!” Dean Amanda Clark remarked, “Tonight is a perfect example of why I am proud to be a JBS Crusader.”